Thursday, December 31, 2009

I love to read about the arrogant, wild, free-spirited writers and authors of the past. Although I had heard (but not seen) of the movie, The Talented Mr. Ripley, I had not heard of the original book's author Patricia Highsmith until browsing B& N for new books to read. Ms. Highsmith's biography caught my eye and defiantly caught my attention - she was just the type of Fitzgerald-era character (Mr. Gatsby, anyone?)I love to read about. I decided I had better read one or two of her books before I tackled her biography and naturally chose The Talented Mr. Ripley, simply because it was familiar to me. I did try to track down a copy of the movie but the library did not have it. Instead I found the book, which turns out to be a trilogy about Mr. Tom Ripley.Let me tell you, if you like suspense – there is none better than this title. My stomach was literally in knots from page 100 on. I stayed up until 2am to finish the first book and had to take a sleeping pill to calm myself down from the suspense of it all! I couldn’t wait to post about this book, even as I am reading on through the second book now. Who knows what Ms. Highsmith’s biography will bring after I complete the Ripley stories – I cannot wait!Here’s a short summary of the first of the Ripley stories – The Talented Mr. Ripley.

The story begins with Tom, a non-descript character who dabbles in small time forgery crimes for fun. He find himself being tailed by a gentleman, who turns out not to be a detective, but the distraught father of one of Tom’s friends. The father tells Tom that his son has run off to Europe and will not return home, even with his mother in failing health. Sensing an opportunity, Tom worms his way into an expense paid trip to Europe to bring the son, Dickie, home.

Dreaming of a new life abroad, Tom quickly becomes friends with Dickie and his lady friend, Marge. They spend the summer together, making plans to winter traveling Europe. The friendship seems queer to Marge and she convinces Dickie to severe the friendship. The men take one final trip together and Tom sees his bright future slipping away. In a fit, he kills Dickie and assumes his identity. Dodging Marge and moving to Paris, Tom totally transforms himself in to Dickie, even forging his bank cheque and living off the dead boy’s money.

In a fluke, a mutual friend finds Tom at “Dickie’s” Paris apartment. Quickly figuring out that something is amiss; the friend starts to question Tom. Tom kills the friend and dumps the body, making the murder look like a robbery. This begins a suspenseful cat and mouse game between Tom and the police. Tom is only one small step ahead at any given moment and is eventually confronted.

I won’t spoil anymore for you, as it’s obvious he gets away this time for there would not be two more Ripley books if he didn’t. I guarantee you will be on you toes and holding your breath the entire way. Just remember to breathe every now and then!

Enjoy, The Talented Mr. Ripley as I am off for a long night of reading, Ripley Under Ground!

RECEIVED HOLIDAY CARDS - Chances are, with this year's economy, you didn't receive as many holiday cards as usual - but what do you do with the ones you did get? St. Jude's Children Ranch accepts used cards until Feb. 28th. The children participate in making the new recycled cards by removing the front and attaching a new back made with recycled paper. The new card is a beautiful, “green” card made by the children and volunteers. The benefits are two-fold: customers receive "green" holiday cards for use and the children receive payment for their work and learn the benefits and importance of "going green".

I like to host Creative Days and after the holidays I ask all the ladies to bring in their cards. We box them up and send them to the kids. What a great and easy way to "give back."

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Growing up, my grandmothers were magnificent ladies. Every Sunday we had white tablecloths and china plates. Every day we used linen napkins and sat down to dinner. I wrote hundreds of thank you cards and signed hundreds more Christmas cards. I hated to hear my name called from the “living room” because I knew it was time to polish the silver! As I got older, I came to appreciate my upbringing and as a mother now, well – let’s just say the polishing of silver has been passed to them! Not many families teach their children the difference in forks, the way to tie a tie or how to behave at a party – but I do. I strive to keep that spirit alive – even if it’s only in my own children. By pulling out all the stops when I entertain, it is my way of not only letting my friends and family know they are worth the effort, but also my way of passing along a dying tradition of entertaining. I challenge you to put that little something extra into your own entertaining. As we’ve learned today –it can be done simply, elegantly and cost efficiently – although a little silver polish doesn’t hurt.Many Blessings, Kendal Spinks HallTo learn more about me, please visit my website at www.thekendalcompanies.com and click the “About Me” page.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Did you see my new blog button? Not very fancy, but better than nothing, right? I'm excited to finally be able to share my button and swap it out with other bloggers.

I want to thank Carrie over at oikology101 for her great tutorial on creating your own Blogger Button. It's actually quite easy. I had to download Picassa and Photbucket, but I had been needing to do that anyway. I hope to learn how to create a new header next.

I chose this particular story for my first book review because it is such a powerful, REAL story - and it hits close to home as I am currently dealing with a similar situation with my own daughter. I scoured the book shelves to find every bit of information I could about teen runaways and this book left a deep impression in my heart. If you are struggling with a child that has runaway, is using drugs or is having serious behavior issues – this is the book that will help you discover there is hope.

BOOK REVIEW: Come Back by Claire and Mia Fontaine

How does a mother react to the sudden realization that her once normal daughter is actually a drug abusing teenager? What happens when the daughter runs away and cannot be found? What is the daughter’s view on her self-destruction behavior? How do both the mother and daughter find help and journey back to normal life? These questions are just the tip of the iceberg in a page-turning chronicle. Both mother and daughter write their own version of events in alternating chapters. The uniqueness of the books is that you read how the daughter feels going through withdrawals, being in confinement and her treatment firsthand and at the same time, you get all the raw emotions of the mother and her struggles with her own side of the treatment process. Come Back is the dual memoir of a mother and daughter as they journey, in their own words, “through Hell and back.” Vividly emotional and striped clear of any “sugar-coating,” this is a powerful account of a daughter, a mother and the struggle to ‘come back” to each other.

Claire and Mia are currently working on a follow-up memoir. Please visit their website for more information on their amazing journal. Resources for parents and teens are also available on their website.

*This book review is covered under my Review Disclaimer. If you have a book or product you would like me to review on this blog, please contact me.

I've just been introduced to the wonderful world of Blog Reviewing! I've been doing this on and off myself for awhile, but just recently found the nuts and bolts of how it works. If you have a book or product you would like for me to review on my blog, please contact me. I am new to the process but ready and willing to learn. Of course, I must cover my "you-know-what" so here's the legal mumbo-jumbo:

PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY THESE TERMS OF USE BEFORE READING, COMMENTING OR, DOWNLOADING, COPYING, REPRODUCING, ALTERING MATERIALS OF ANY KIND, SUBSCRIBING TO, AND LINKING TO (COLLECTIVELY “USING”) THIS BLOG. USING THIS BLOG INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS OF USE. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THESE TERMS OF USE, PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS BLOG.

Introduction

This agreement (”Agreement“) between You and Kendal Hall (”the Author“), consists of these The Kendal Companies Forum (“the Blog“) Terms of Use (”Terms“). “You“, “Reader” or “Commenter” means any entity identified by its comments, e-mail, registration information or IP address. If You use this Blog on behalf of your employer, organization or company, they shall also be bound by the terms of this Agreement. “The Author” shall additionally refer to any person who publishes content on the The Kendal Companies Forum blog.

Privacy

When You leave a comment, the Author is automatically notified and receives e-mail information pertaining to the Commenter. This information is not stored by the Author for other purposes than to moderate comments. This information is not being sold or used for other purposes. If you have concerns with the way this information is used, please contact the Author directly to arrange for complete removal of this information. Removal of all personal information will result in the removal of any content the Commenter might have contributed to this Blog, including comments. This Blog is hosted in the State of Indiana, USA. Be aware that laws regarding personal information and privacy may differ from Your location.

Blog content

All the contents of the Blog, EXCEPT FOR COMMENTS, constitute the opinion of the Author, and the Author alone; they do not represent the views and opinions of the Author’s family members, or employers, nor do they represent the view of organizations, businesses or institutions the Author is a part of.

The Author is not a professional in any field, and you should never substitute information from this Blog for information obtained from a licensed professional as appropriate. The content of this Blog is not intended to cause harm, but if You have any concerns about the contents of this Blog, please contact the Author. Disagreeing with the content of the Blog does not constitute sufficient ground for You to ask the Author to remove or modify any parts of this Blog. The Author of this Blog frequently receives compensation for the Author’s opinion including, but not limited to, paid advertising and free services or merchandise.

This Blog does not specifically endorse any product, service or company. This Blog makes no guarantees that any of the products, services or otherwise are the best, most appropriate or lowest priced for Your situation. The Author’s comments and reviews are consultative and educational only and are provided solely to assist you in your own best judgment. The Author’s reviews and opinion are subject to change at any time. This Blog is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of its opinion, advice or recommendation of any product, service or advertisement. This Blog is not responsible for damage or loss caused by Your reliance on or use of the information obtained on this Blog. It is Your responsibility to evaluate accuracy, appropriateness or completeness of any information obtained from this Blog. Where ever applicable, You should seek out the advice of professionals in the appropriate field. This Blog is not responsible for any relationships, purchases or agreements entered into by You with regards to any product, service or company referenced on this Blog.

Copyright policy

All the text, images and other content being part of this Blog is property of the Author, unless noted otherwise. All logos and trademarks are property of their respective owners. You are not allowed to reproduce, sell, and modify any part of this Blog. You are welcome to link to this blog, and to discuss its contents in a respectful manner. When You quote or link to this Blog, please include the Blog’s name in your link. You are not authorized to use this content for personal profit. UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, REPRODUCTION, MODIFICATION, REPUBLISHING, UPLOADING, POSTING, TRANSMITTING OR DUPLICATING OF ANY OF THE MATERIAL IS PROHIBITED. Whenever copyrighted material is mentioned or use, the Author is doing so according to fair dealing practices. Use of material from this Blog according to fair dealing practices requires proper acknowledgment. Simply linking back to the Blog is not considered proper acknowledgment; please provide a link including the Author’s name, the name of the page you are linking, and a permanent link (”Permalink“) to that page.

Comment policy

The Author is not responsible for the content of any comments made by the Commenter(s). The Author is also not responsible for knowing whether the content of Your comment is breaking the law in other countries or jurisdictions. This Blog is a venue for discussion; therefore, the Author will not delete critical comments, or comments portraying a different opinion from the Author’s own. However, the Author reserves the right to edit, delete, or not publish a comment if this is deemed to be potentially illegal (this includes, but it is not limited to comments containing hateful, libelous, and defamatory content). All comments on this Blog have to be written in English. Please do not endanger Yourself or break the law when you comment. Comments intending to advertise and/or off-topic (”SPAM“) will be deleted. The Author also reserves the right to block Commenter(s) who have previously published offensive comments, illegal content, or SPAM.

Forbidden actions

You are not authorized to (i) use this Blog to advertise for products of any kind and for other Blogs, (ii) to infringe the Copyright policy and Comment policy of this Blog, (iii) to attack this Blog using malicious software and/or use this Blog for data mining (iv) to commit any illegal actions while using the Blog, or against this Blog, (v) to restrict access to this Blog, (vi) to impede the normal functioning of this Blog and (vii) to menace the Author with, or cause physical or financial harm to, the Author of this Blog.

Changes to the Terms

The Author reserves the right to change these Terms at any time. You will only be notified by the Blog through posts or syndicated content (RSS), NOT IN PERSON. It is Your responsibility to make sure that you agree with the new Terms, whenever changes have been announced. Changes to the Terms will be effective 48 hours after the notice has been posted on the Blog. If You do not agree with the Terms, DO NOT USE THIS BLOG.

No Guarantee

The Author makes no guarantee regarding the validity of the content of the Blog. In addition, the Author does not guarantee that the Blog will be accessible at all times or during any down time (i) caused by outages to any public Internet backbones, networks or servers, (ii) caused by any failures of Your equipment, systems or local access services, (iii) for previously scheduled maintenance or (iv) relating to events beyond the Author’s control such as strikes, riots, fires, floods, explosions, war, terrorism, governmental action, labor conditions, natural and/or man-made disasters, or interruptions in Internet services to an area where the Author or Your servers are located. Although the Author will try to moderate comments quickly, the Author makes no guarantee to the Commenter that its comments or trackbacks will be displayed promptly, without modifications, or that they will be displayed at all, as all comments will be published to the discretion of the Author.

No Warranty or Condition; Links

The Author makes NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. If you choose to access the Blog, you do so AT YOUR OWN RISK. To the extent links and external content are based on or displayed in connection with the Blog, THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT HAVE ANY LIABILITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE DISPLAY OF SUCH LINKS AND SEARCH RESULTS, whether this external content is breaking the law in this or other jurisdictions. YOU AGREE TO USE THE BLOG AT YOUR OWN RISK, and that You will not consider the Blog’s content to be a suitable substitute for professional advice.

Limitations of Liability

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHOR BE LIABLE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES, AND THE AUTHOR’S LIABILITY TO YOU UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY CLAIM IS LIMITED TO THE GROSS MONTHLY AMOUNT PAID BY THE AUTHOR FOR HOSTING SERVICES DURING THE ONE MONTH PERIOD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE DATE OF THE CLAIM. Each party acknowledges that the other party has entered into this Agreement relying on the limitations of liability stated herein and that those limitations are an essential part of the Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, the Author shall not have any liability for any failure or delay resulting from any condition beyond the reasonable control of the Author, including but not limited to governmental action, labor conditions, power failures, natural and/or man-made disasters. The Author is not liable for the content of any comments the Commenter might leave on this Blog (see Comment policy).

Obligation to Indemnify

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold the Author, its agents, and applicable third parties (collectively “Indemnified Person(s)“) harmless from and against any and all claims, liability, loss, and expense (including damage awards, settlement amounts, and reasonable legal fees, brought against any Indemnified Person(s), arising out of, related to or which may arise from Your use of the Blog and/or Your breach of any term of this Agreement. This will include all legal fees and expenses occurring as a result.Applicable Laws; Venue The Author operates the Blog from the State of GEORGIA, USA, and makes no representations that materials in the Blog are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Access to the Blog from any location where the content is illegal is prohibited. Any claim related to the use of the Blog or to the Blog materials shall be governed by the laws of the USA. Any action related to the access, use, content, or existence of this Blog shall be filed only in the appropriate court located within the USA. The use of this Blog constitutes Your express permission and consent to the jurisdiction of the provincial and/or federal courts of the USA for purposes of such actions.Legal notices and Contact information If You are intending to carry out legal action of any kind against the Blog or the Author, you are required to contact the Author FOURTEEN BUSINESS DAYS before any legal claim is made. Please remember that the Author means to DO NO HARM to You or anyone else by writing this Blog. If You feel that your rights have been infringed, please contact the Author, and allow fourteen business days for the reply to be received. The Author will do whatever possible to address Your concerns.

Friday, December 18, 2009

You peaked! It's okay. I just didn't want you to get a glimpse of your beautiful present I wrapped today...

Actually, this is a gift that Grace and I made for her friend's birthday - BUT, you may still have one like it with your name waiting under my tree.....

So you guessed it - I finally got my own Cricut machine and I have been putting it to good use this holiday season. It cuts the beautiful letters, to my specifications, perfectly! If you haven't seen one of these suckers - head over to http://www.cricut.com/ and check it out!

Such a simple use for all those photo holiday cards you get year after year….

Although every January I donate all my Christmas cards to St. Jude’s Children Ranch, I keep the ones that have my friends and family’s photos on them. I have several years’ worth of each family’s Christmas photos in a bowl on my living room coffee table. It is such a wonderful thing to look through a see how the children have grown, pets that people have include and all the wonderful friends that share their family with us. My bowl is almost full and I plan to place all of these in a scrapbook in the next few years, but for now, I just love “visiting” with my friends every time I pass the table.

I do the same thing at Halloween with the girls in their trick-or-treat costumes….

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Last week my neice and her son came over so we could make our Christmas cards. Being the teacher that she is, she brought along a craft for the kids to complete while we were working.

Kids at work - yes my OCD was kicking in......

Meg at work:

Kids finished product:

My finished products:

To make your own "countodown to Christmas" ring chain you will need:

1" strips of green and red construction paper (we had 6 of each color b/c there were 12 days left)One piece of yellow construction paper (to cut out a large bell shape for the top)Glue or staplesStickers

The kids deocrated the "bell" with stickers, then created a chain by stapling the rings together to form a chain. Every night before bed, we take off one ring to represent how many days are left until Christmas.

To make you own cards (like mine) you will need:Card stock paper in multiple colors. I used kraft color, light blue and red on mine.Holiday stamps and stamp pads"pop-it" - found at Hobby Lobby. These are mini pillowed squared that give a 3-D effectGlue penGlitter.

Starting with a standard sheet of card stock, cut it in half and fold in half to creat a note card.I cut out a swirl "snow" and glues to the bottom of the page. I then stamped a plain tree on the front and used glitter to "draw on" the ornaments and stars. I used the pop-its to create a layered 3D effect on the front.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

My favorite holiday decoration, next to my Holiday ABC book, is this lovely little manger scene of hand-painted plaster figures. Why do I love this so? When I was little and money was tight, my mother went out and bought this do-it-yourself manger scene. She lovingly painted each figurine and put them out for my brother and me. I don’t remember that first year, but I do remember the years that followed that it was set out for us to enjoy. Times got better and the little scene was eventually replaced with finer things. Years later, I married and had two beautiful little ones of my own. We were young, money was tight and somehow I found that little manger scene. Just like my mother before me, I put it out for my little ones. Those two little ones are almost grown now, but I have a new little one who gets to enjoy now. The little figures are aged, chipped and flaking, but Grace loves to play with them (I was never allowed to even touch them!) I’ve changed out the original wooden manger but the figurines will never be replaced.

It just goes to show that love goes a long way. No matter what something costs. No matter what you have or don’t have – the love will come through in the end. Give your children those kinds of gifts and they will cherish them – just as I cherish my little plaster baby in the manger…..